Heroes: Flight 93 memorial should get same attention as the one in New York

It is easy to forget about them -- the men and women who took down a plane because they knew it was bound for Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11.

There are thousands of open wounds still in New York City -- and a hole in the skyline where two majestic buildings once stood. So, of course, we remember New York first and the tragic stories that are still a part of life there.

But the reason we should push just as hard for a memorial in Pennsylvania where a jet crashed into the ground is because of the risk and sacrifice those passengers took to try to save the lives of thousands of their fellow Americans.

Flight 93 fought its attackers -- just like we would like to believe more Americans would have done that day had they known what was coming.

They were ordinary people whose destiny put them on a plane and offered them the chance to be true heroes -- and they did not hesitate to take the opportunity to do what they knew was right, no matter their own personal risk.

A memorial at the crash site is not just a tribute -- it would be a reminder of just what it means to be a patriot, a hero and a citizen of this great nation. It will remind us all of the cost of freedom and the sacrifices of generations who gave their lives in its name.

A memorial in Pennsylvania is the least we can do -- a guarantee that no one will ever forget the bravery that occurred in that spot a decade ago.

It will be our chance to say thank you.

Published in Editorials on March 10, 2011 10:57 AM